Good news – someone contacts you to find out more information about the services you offer. How do you respond?
I recently experienced a bit of a role reversal. For a volunteer project with my church, I offered to research prices of local print shops to find out what would be most cost-effective for the quality we were looking for. It’s one of the few times that I was asking about prices, services, etc. as opposed to telling potential clients about what Three Girls offers. Being on the opposite side of the sale was a great exercise for me – it reminded me that there are techniques you should use while closing the sale.
1. Work with their preferred method of contact. In my case, this was a volunteer project, so I couldn’t spend a lot of time on the phone during the day – I needed to be working. Fortunately, email communication allowed me to respond to people during breaks or after hours. There were a couple of companies that called and left a voicemail following my initial inquiry, and completely ignored me when I told them email was a better way to get a hold of me. Needless to say, their companies were crossed off the list.
2. Answer all their questions. As I was pricing and comparing several different companies in the area, I had a standard list of questions for each potential vendor. I sent each of them the same list so I could compare them accurately. I found it very frustrating that one of the people didn’t answer all of my questions. In fact, I needed to ask a couple of them several times before they were answered. It made me wonder if that’s what our working relationship would be like were we to choose them.
3. Follow up effectively. Following up is a necessary part of sales as potential customers have a lot going on. One of the printers sent me some samples of their work so I could see the level of quality we could expect from them. When she followed up, all she said was “Did you get the samples?” That’s a good question to ask, but it won’t get you all the information you’re looking for. I’m sure she wanted to know more than if I got the samples. She wanted to know what I thought of them, if I was impressed, and if I was still considering working with her company. You can ask all those questions when you follow up, just be nice about it without bombarding the recipient with questions. Here’s an example:
Hi Emily,
Just a quick note to follow up regarding the postcards I sent. What did you think? Personally, I love our pre-printed nature line. A lot of customers have found them useful in promoting their eco-friendly business. Do you know when you’ll make a decision about this year’s postcard needs? Please let me know if there is anything else I can send to help.
All the best,
Emily
Ultimately, the best you can do is tell the potential customer how you can help and answer their questions – the rest is up to them. Being attentive to what they say and ask will go a long way in making you stand out from the competition. What additional tips would you include in this list?